- 5 weeks ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Hidden behind high walls and hedgerows stand Yorkshire's secret stately homes,
00:06a priceless part of our heritage, and now some are throwing open the doors.
00:11Wow, I like it already.
00:12To auctioneer and country house connoisseur Angus Ashworth.
00:16You walk in here, you cannot not be amazed with it. It's sort of a visual overload.
00:21He's on a mission to help save these historic houses for the nation.
00:25More than 200 have vanished since the war.
00:28They were just bulldozed. People couldn't afford them. They were lost forever.
00:31He'll be hunting through lofts and cellars.
00:34Oh, I've spotted something.
00:36That's, you see, look, yeah, look, armour.
00:37There's the armour.
00:38There's the armour, yeah.
00:40For forgotten treasure.
00:42Look at that. Look at that, bad boy.
00:43This is like a dream for me.
00:46It's quite a mess for me.
00:47I don't think I can do anything with the toilets.
00:50To raise cash to help fund renovation or repairs.
00:54It's a battle, you know, something goes wrong every day.
00:57Something significant breaks every week.
00:59And the upkeep's enormous.
01:01He'll be diving into life as a weekend house guest and occasional butler.
01:09All right, cheers.
01:10Arriving in style.
01:12It's beautiful from up here, isn't it?
01:14It gives you a real perspective.
01:16To experience a lost way of life in some of Yorkshire's most stunning stately homes.
01:30I spent my whole life driving around here on these roads.
01:34It's tiny from up here, but you can just see everything. Absolutely everything.
01:39A visit to Scarborough usually involves a drive along the busy A64.
01:44But Angus and pilot James have chosen a quieter route to one of the finest Regency country houses in Yorkshire.
01:51Scamston Hall.
01:53Oh, look at that, James. There's Scamston.
01:55You can see it there, just off the A64.
01:58But look at the garden.
01:59My capability brown.
02:02It's beautiful from up here, isn't it?
02:03It gives you a real perspective.
02:05The hall was bought by the St Quinton family in the late 1600s. Added to and remodelled over the
02:12centuries, the hall has 12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. It is surrounded by 80 acres of parkland,
02:19including a large lake. But it's the outbuildings Angus is here for. He's been invited to search them
02:26for forgotten treasure. Where were you going to land this one, James? Right on the A64?
02:30Might get a speeding ticket.
02:34Preparing for Angus's arrival are Sir Chris and Lady Miranda Ledgeard.
02:39I wonder if Angus likes carrots?
02:40I hope he does.
02:42The house has remained in the same family for the past 340 years. In the 1990s,
02:48Chris's father and stepmother undertook a mammoth renovation project to keep the house looking its
02:54best. We moved here about 15 years ago. It's, I think, like anybody else in the
03:00similar situation. You know, you don't own it. You're just looking after it for the next generation.
03:04So my father and stepmother, the focus of their, their innings, if you like, was a restoration of
03:12the hall. Yes, you know, we sold two canalettos to fund it, but it was a brilliant decision. It's
03:18meant I've been able to focus on other projects all over the estate, outside the house. Projects
03:24included launching Scamston's very own Lodge Park, but all businesses inevitably have to fund what
03:30is essentially a 12-bedroomed money pit. The biggest challenge, I think, at the moment for us
03:36is to make this a sustainable economic proposition for future generations, because there's a huge amount
03:42of cost. The jewel in Scamston's crown is its magnificent gardens, created 350 years ago by Capability
03:52Brown, Britain's most famous and celebrated landscape architect. But gardens this grand take a lot of
03:59work and money. Here to help is Angus, whose mission this weekend is to find items to auction, to help fund
04:07some new machinery for the overstretched gardening team. Wow, I'm in the house, looks incredible up
04:13close, and I've been to the grounds many times, but never inside. This is going to be special.
04:17Hello. Hi, Angus, I'm Chris. Sir Chris. Nice to meet you. My wife, Miranda. Hi. Hi.
04:24Hi. How was the flight? Good, all right. Yeah. Lovely parkland's there, London. Yeah,
04:27it's a good space. Bit bluey. A little bit, but, you know, not too bad. Good. Well, welcome, Scamston.
04:32Come on in. Thank you very much. Thank you. Oh, wow. One thing we're not short of in this house is
04:40family portraits. This is the gentleman it sort of started with, isn't that right? Um, yes-ish.
04:47He's, he's sort of, um, his dad made the money. He then spent it very successfully and he went bust.
04:55But the one thing he did do is collect a lot of the art in this house. Angus has been granted
05:01privileged access to the ornate rooms, usually only open to the public under the supervision of guides.
05:08But it's the sprawling 80 acres of parkland that poses the biggest challenge.
05:12The gardens are open to the public a few months of the year. And for paying customers, they need to look perfect.
05:20I suppose it's all the little jobs around the estate that people don't see that need doing.
05:24Yeah, there's obviously, as you can imagine, like anywhere, a hell of a lot of stuff going on in the background that, um, nobody notices.
05:30They just come to see a beautiful garden and wonder what's been going on to get it to that point.
05:34And this looks like some of it. This is the main man in the garden team, head garden Nick.
05:39Nick, hi, how are you doing? You all right? This is Angus. Lovely to meet you.
05:43And you. What are we on with today? A little bit of mulching for the garden.
05:47It's just one of the many fantastic jobs Nick gets to do here at Scouston.
05:53Right. How many trailer loads do we need? Oh, too many to even think about. You'll get too depressed thinking about it.
06:00It's about 100 forks full to fill one of these trailers. 100 forkfuls? Yep.
06:04How long does that take you? Oh, it's usually about half an hour, 20 minutes, half an hour each load.
06:09There must be a quicker way of doing this though. There is. I mean, if only I could get a tractor,
06:14you could be filling this. In two scoops of a tractor shovel, you'd fill that trailer.
06:20I'll have a word with Chris, shall I? Good luck.
06:23Have you been asking for a while? I've been asking for a long time.
06:26I mean, I think for me, and I think most people come here, when you look at the estate, you know,
06:32the crown jewel is the gardens. And that is what pulls people here. And that in turn brings money
06:39into the estate. So it's important to support that element of income stream. And, you know,
06:44if that, if we can make the gardener's jobs easier with something like a garden tractor,
06:49then that's a great investment. But that doesn't come cheap. So
06:52I'm going to work on Chris, see what we can do. Back in the day, Scamston had a large team of
06:58gardeners and many hands made light work. Today, there are just four gardeners. So a bit of help
07:05towards a new tractor wouldn't go amiss. And one potentially untapped source of useful cash could
07:12be in the stables, which have been a dumping ground for the past 20 years. Oh, wow. All the original
07:19stables. Yeah, all the original stables, full of what, to me, is largely junk. I mean,
07:27some of it's probably not junk, but it's just stuff that we don't use. Chris is sceptical that
07:32there is anything left worth sending to auction. But Angus sees things very differently.
07:37You've got a butler's tray in the hay rack. Okay. Right. Randomly. Okay. Let's get it out.
07:42Yeah. I mean, that's... The stand's long gone, but, you know, the trays still sell. Lovely thing.
07:49But even more exciting, hidden behind a filing cabinet, is a Victorian adjustable easel in mahogany.
07:58Yeah, that's the feather. There. Yep. And then that's,
08:03with a bit of jigging, locks into there. So that'll slide down onto, sort of,
08:07from on these brackets, where they'll slide down onto that. So you can set that. You've got a
08:11writing surface, a drawing surface there. You've got your little trough here to put in your pencils
08:15thing it's in. Yeah. That's quite cool. Probably a dressman's easel, maybe an artist. But,
08:21you know, what would you do with it now? And quite often things sell for practicality. And,
08:25you know, you've got to be a little bit imaginative. Entrance way to a restaurant with a seating plan,
08:29or, you know, like a wedding or something like that. That's where its value is, is as a interesting,
08:35sort of, decorative, you know, display piece. At auction, this old easel might sell for 150
08:42pounds. But Angus is about to discover something of historical value that is even more unusual.
08:48Oh, I think I know what this is. OK. Let's carry the set outside. OK.
08:52I think this is a very early shower. Really? Yeah. OK, interesting.
09:00Right. So, I think we've got two of these, because there's another one of those,
09:03another one of those in there. Correct. And then these poles, I'm hoping.
09:06Yeah. Which.
09:10OK. So, let's get on top. Yeah. So, we've got to marry up the, um,
09:15the water hole. That's right. Which is here. OK.
09:20Look at that. Look at that bad boy. You've got a shower there. Yeah.
09:24So, you would have had a pipe. Yeah. Hose go from there. Yeah.
09:28To there, which is obviously long perished. A little pool there that opens up the flap.
09:33So, I don't want to really get in, but you get in there. Nice rose shower.
09:38That then collects in the bottom. Yeah. And your manservant. Yeah.
09:44Pumps it like that and you get a continuous shower. I mean, that is incredible.
09:49You'd have to get on well with your manservant. You would. But I have never,
09:54ever seen anything like it. No, and I have to say, I've seen them often. I have no idea what
09:59they were. I assumed they were something agricultural, sort of, like some butter churn or something.
10:03I think that is remarkable. The shower was designed to be used in a dressing room or in the kitchen,
10:10long before indoor plumbing and hot water boilers were invented. It's a niche product,
10:15so we've got to do a bit of research on it, see if any others have come up on the market. How rare
10:19is it actually? And something can be really rare, but not very, very valuable because who wants it,
10:24you know? So, we've got to see what the market's like for it. But, you know, I've been doing this
10:29well over 25 years and yet you still get days when you come across something you've never seen before.
10:34So, it is phenomenal and I don't know, this is what makes the job worthwhile. Eagle-eyed Angus is fully
10:41alert, searching for diamonds in the dust still lurking in the stable block. Things that don't look like
10:47much, but will fetch a great deal at auction.
10:50A auctioneer Angus Ashworth is at Scampston Hall for the weekend as a guest of Sir Chris and Lady
11:08Miranda Legyard. He's hunting for things to sell at auction, to raise funds to put towards a tractor for
11:14the gardening team. Angus and Chris are searching through the old stables. Right, Angus, follow me
11:21into the next apartment. Okay. And it looks like they've found yet more fascinating treasures.
11:28Look at that. Is that...? It's a barrow graph. Is it? Okay. Yeah, this would lift off, possibly.
11:37I need to do a bit of TLC on that. Okay. It's missing one of its bracket feet. And we'd get it clean,
11:41because usually there's not two inches of pigeon muck on the stuff we're taking. Okay.
11:45But, you know, we'll give it a wipe off. It's not going to add value. Yeah. No. Okay.
11:49Um, you know, even Scampston pigeons don't add value. A barrow graph is an instrument that measures
11:55atmospheric pressure and can help predict the weather. It's the weather app. Nowadays we look on our phone.
12:00Yeah. This is what you would have done. The first barrow graphs appeared in the 18th century and were
12:05perfected in 1844 by French physicist Lucien Vidy. Because they look interesting, they're just a great
12:12desk piece. Yeah. From a small desk piece to a massive lump of mahogany. This is the one piece of
12:19furniture out of all this stuff that I remember being in the house when my grandparents were alive,
12:25and it sat in the entrance hall. In the 18th and 19th century, corner cupboards were a staple of any room,
12:32really. Um, but that is, I mean, that's fast, isn't it? You see flat-fronted ones, we see oak ones,
12:38we see mahogany. Yeah. This is mahogany. This is mahogany, yeah. This is huge. I mean, it's a wardrobe.
12:44You can get in it. Actually, you could get about four of you in it. It'll take up most people's whole
12:48living room. So it might be a tough sell, but I think he just wants it gone. So, um, yeah,
12:54we like a challenge. But there's big and there's bigger. And Angus is about to spot something with a
13:00potentially huge sale price. This is the last room, archive paperwork, largely.
13:05Oh, ho, ho, ho. Yeah? What's that? What's this? It's a big piece of furniture is what that is.
13:13Yeah. Yeah. But important to you? No. No? Very much would have been, sort of,
13:20servants' area. Yeah. Uh, big sort of kitchen piece. This is incredible. Now, it's a little bit niche,
13:28because of the size. I mean, it is vast. Quite often, they've lost the backs. So it's just the
13:32base unit. So we've got it all complete, which is lovely. But they just don't come up that often.
13:38Certainly not on this scale. Okay. Well, we're never going to use it. It's going to rot here. And
13:43again, I'd be far happier if it was looked after and put to some good use. You know, there's going
13:47to be lots of people that are interested in that. There's going to be a lot of dealers who specialise in
13:50that kind of look that want that, because that is such a statement piece. Broadly speaking, probably
13:55two to four thousand. And, you know, that probably sounds a lot to some people, but what would that
14:01cost you for a fitter kitchen? And actually, you get something unique, something with history,
14:05with provenance, character. With the first haul of unusual items for auctions set aside,
14:12Chris is keen to show Angus the family photo albums.
14:15This, this I got out because it's more relevant to me in terms of time, because it's got a lot
14:20of my grandmother, who I remember very, very fondly. And that's her with her father, Colonel
14:25Lestrange Malone, on the terrace at Scamston. Oh, the pageant. Here we go. So all dressed up.
14:31Oh, so this is at Wellington and Scamston.
14:33Correct. Pageant 1927.
14:36Yep. So that's outside the house, dressed as all sorts. And I've got another picture of the house,
14:41actually here, which, which really shows the, the way that, how the landscape's changed.
14:45Ah, there's a big tower on there. Yeah, I don't know what happened to that. I mean,
14:49maybe it blew over in a storm. Maybe it fell down. I don't know.
14:52It's sort of a dome, just a dome now, isn't it? It's visually, I think I prefer it without.
14:56In terms of the garden, we're kind of back to this now. My father took the wall down,
15:02took out the gravel paths, which was both brilliant decisions in my step-line,
15:05and it was a big part of the garden. It's a big part of the garden. It's a big part of the garden.
15:12It's a big part of the garden. It's a big part of the garden. It's a big part of the garden.
15:16And that wasn't the only big change to be made outside during the 20th century.
15:21The walled gardens are incredible, aren't they? Thank you. Yeah, they are.
15:24They're absolutely beautiful. And it is the draw for Scamston for us. It's the jewel in our crown.
15:30Wherever I go in the country, if you say you're from Scamston, the immediate thing is,
15:35is that, oh, you're the people with a lovely garden.
15:37The formal gardens had been derelict for nearly 50 years when Chris's father and stepmother
15:43decided to do something radically modern with them.
15:46These houses all had walled gardens, and they were to provide vegetables and cut flowers and things
15:51for the household. But of course, over time, that's sort of, that sign's dropped away,
15:56and a lot of them then get turned into gardens like this. And it is incredible, huge.
16:02World-famous Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf turned the walled garden into a special destination,
16:09with his distinctive modern style and naturalistic planting, bringing in thousands of visitors a year.
16:17But it's not the garden that needs restoration now.
16:20Miles and miles of wall, the square footage is immense, and we do try and work our way around.
16:26So it's a continent sort of maintenance programme?
16:29Yeah.
16:30Right. Is that what we've got going?
16:32This is Dave, head of maintenance, who tries to get through a bit of it, don't you, Dave?
16:36How are you doing? Right.
16:37And he's going to show you how to do it.
16:39Right. So you can finish it.
16:41So we're pre-pointing. What, finish the whole?
16:43Yeah, the whole wall.
16:44Four and a half acres.
16:45Yeah.
16:46Thanks, chaps. Right, I'll leave you to it. Good luck.
16:49Over time, the mortar keeping up the wall has disintegrated.
16:54If nothing's done, it will simply fall down.
16:57So it's re-pointing, is that basically what you're doing?
17:00It's re-pointing, yeah. So what we're going to do, we'll take an inch out, roughly, 25mm,
17:04and then we'll replace that with some fresh mortar.
17:06So that's what you've been doing here, is basically taking out the old...
17:09The old, yeah. And because it's old mortar, it's pretty soft, so you can pretty much get away with raking it.
17:15Yeah. The wall's got to be solid.
17:17One, for health and safety, and two, you can't have a wall garden without the wall.
17:20So crucial fabric of the property.
17:24Right. Right, so this is the mix.
17:25This is the mix, and it's lime, yellow sand, and a bit of sharp sand.
17:32And just give it a flattened down width, that's it.
17:35I mean, it could be a little bit wetter, but...
17:37I don't want to make it easy for me, do you?
17:38No, I don't want to make it too easy.
17:41A little bit more on that.
17:42It's quite satisfying, actually, isn't it?
17:44It is.
17:46Er, what do you reckon, Dave? Am I doing all right?
17:48Yeah.
17:49For your first attempts, I mean, don't look bad to me, Lee.
17:53I mean, it needs to tidy it up a little bit, obviously.
17:55Yeah, well, you see, the next stage we'll do all that.
17:58OK. Right.
17:59Which is a churn brush finish.
18:01A churn brush finish.
18:02Yeah.
18:04You know, these are 18th century bricks, you know.
18:06They're a press brick, you can't get bricks like this any more.
18:08You can't just go there with a motorised sort of chisel blade to route it out, because that
18:13would fracture the bricks, and then you've got a bigger problem.
18:15So, it has to be done by hand.
18:17There's no shortcuts on this.
18:21And you give it a bit of welly.
18:22Oh, you like a machine gun on that.
18:25And it'll clean the brick up, and er...
18:29Looks a lot tidy, doesn't it?
18:30Yeah.
18:31Right.
18:32What did this wall ever do to you, Dave?
18:33I mean, well, that's going to save it, because it's going to push the mortar right to the back,
18:38so there's no pockets behind it.
18:41If you ever give up on auctioneering, you've got a job, haven't you?
18:44Er, well, yeah, I might stick to auctioneering, actually.
18:46It's a bit easier.
18:47I think you should do it.
18:48Yeah, yeah, thanks.
18:50Every acre of the garden and grounds must pay its way,
18:53but it takes a lot of work to keep it productive.
18:56For Chris's wife, Miranda, the gardens have provided a therapeutic sanctuary.
19:02It's been quite a tough gig, I think, for Miranda in some ways.
19:05She had a big stroke when she was pregnant with our first child.
19:09That left her very epileptic and, you know, has affected some of her abilities to do things.
19:16Miranda's greatest joy probably is gardening.
19:19This is wonderful, isn't it?
19:20Yep.
19:22So this is the team that makes it all happen?
19:24Yeah, very much so.
19:25Yeah.
19:26Nick and Sarah work all year round to keep the visitors coming back.
19:31Hello.
19:31Ah, hello.
19:32We've come to give you a bit of a hunt.
19:34Amazing, we've got lots to do.
19:36Excellent, excellent.
19:37So what's the plan?
19:38Yeah, so today we are infilling a few gaps that have developed over the time,
19:43so we've got some Monada scorpion that we need to fill in,
19:46and then we've also got some more salvia amethyst as well to go in.
19:49Wonderful.
19:50Right, well, I suppose we must crack too.
19:52Yeah.
19:54So this is your passion, is it, Miranda?
19:57Yes.
19:57Yeah.
19:58It is wonderful.
19:59And do, you know, presumably you come in during the day when the public come through.
20:03I get asked if I'm enjoying being a volunteer.
20:05What do you say to that?
20:11It's not bad.
20:12It's not bad, it's fine.
20:15Very easy, isn't it, you know, when we're thinking of country houses,
20:18that you think about the house, but actually the landscape and the gardens
20:22are equally as important.
20:23They all, one's not one without the other, isn't it?
20:26Yeah.
20:26You've got a favourite bit?
20:28I love my roses, which are over by the house.
20:30Yeah.
20:31Which are all...
20:32Beautiful scents and...
20:33Yeah.
20:33Yeah.
20:34Money doesn't grow on trees.
20:36Nevertheless, Miranda and Chris have found a way to make their garden pay.
20:41And presumably, then, you also grow all these plants as well and then sell them on...
20:45Yep, indeed.
20:46So we have our plant sales area as well, so we do a lot of propagation from the garden.
20:51Full circle.
20:52It is a full circle.
20:53Many, many visitors have come round and say,
20:55I've seen this amazing flower in the corner of the garden,
20:58and you kind of have to boil it down to try and work out which one they're talking about.
21:02And then, oh, we do have this one for sale.
21:04We can't get much better showpiece than this, can you?
21:07I mean, this is an amazing showroom.
21:10Before dinner, there's just enough time for Angus to get a quick clean up
21:14and settle into his very own stately bedroom.
21:17It's a real privilege for me to come and stay in a house like this, in their private quarters.
21:22And you can't really do that.
21:23I mean, unless you're a friend or a guest.
21:26Yeah, it's incredible.
21:27And, you know, Chris and Miranda have said,
21:29go get yourself comfy, see you for dinner.
21:33I think Chris, apparently, I think, apparently, he's a bit of a good chef,
21:37so I'm looking forward to this.
21:39Evening, Angus.
21:40Hi.
21:40How are you?
21:41Yeah, did you find everything?
21:42I did, yeah, lovely.
21:43The room's lovely.
21:44A glass of wine?
21:45A glass of wine would be lovely, thank you.
21:46Well, it smells fantastic in here.
21:49While the sauce is cooking,
21:51there's time for Angus to admire the family's incredible art collection,
21:55including works by Gainsborough, the on-trend society portrait painter of the 18th century.
22:02That's nice.
22:03It's all right, isn't it?
22:04Yeah.
22:05Well, again, we've got to thank the fellow we met earlier, the fourth baronet.
22:10It's been incredibly rare to see a landscape by Gainsborough.
22:13Yeah, and as we know, he painted these for fun.
22:18This is what he loved to do.
22:19Yeah.
22:19Painted portraits to earn a living.
22:21Um, this was bought for 43 guineas by Sir William St. Quentin IV Baronet,
22:28never been owned by anybody else.
22:30It's in the account book.
22:31Why have one Gainsborough when you can have several?
22:34You know, I mean, most houses consider themselves lucky if they've got a Gainsborough painting,
22:39you know, portrait.
22:40These, you know, here at Scamston, we've got several and an incredibly rare landscape.
22:45That is pretty special.
22:46Today's family portraits are rather more modest.
22:50The couple's kids spent their teens in the hall, but have now flown the nest.
22:55So both grown up, so 30 and 25.
22:57Yeah, both seem great, actually.
22:59Yeah.
23:00Out of the world and earning a living, which...
23:01No grandchildren yet?
23:02No.
23:03No.
23:04Sadly, not yet.
23:05Mm.
23:06Right, dig in.
23:08Oh, thank you very much.
23:10Well, it's wonderful to be here, as you guys say.
23:13Been a pleasure.
23:15So far.
23:16With the weekend only halfway through, will Angus discover more hidden gems to sell at auction?
23:23Angus has another busy day ahead at Scamston Hall, searching a storeroom at the top of the house for anything he can sell at auction.
23:44This is the picture store, Angus.
23:46The picture store, this sounds interesting.
23:47Yeah.
23:48So this is really where just surplus pictures are stored.
23:51It's mainly, nearly everything in here is a family portrait, so there's one or two other bits and bobs.
23:55Interesting place to have a clock?
23:57Er, yeah, I hadn't really noticed that before.
23:59Do you want to have a look at it?
24:01Yeah, buried away.
24:03I knew.
24:04Grandfather clocks are a classic piece of country house furniture.
24:08Well, luckily, they're all empty.
24:09Empty, yeah.
24:11Er, fairly local, Beverley Maker, er, but what's interesting is the door.
24:17Yes.
24:18This is a fairly sort of standard configuration.
24:21Somebody's touched up the gilding.
24:23Yeah.
24:24Er, what is that?
24:24I mean, there's almost gold oil-like, aren't there?
24:27Ah!
24:28I think that's your crest on the bottom, possibly.
24:30Inverted V, is it?
24:31Er, yes, St Quenching, yeah.
24:34Yes, yes, it is.
24:35That's the St Quenching crest.
24:37Yeah, so it's been made for the family.
24:38Yeah.
24:39Commissioned.
24:40And then the door here, er, 1738, I think that is.
24:44Yeah.
24:45So that's early.
24:47It's the door that makes it.
24:48Normally, take that away and take your crest.
24:50Sadly, the market's completely changed, you know.
24:52Obviously, there's rarities that still do good money, but most houses now just don't
24:56accommodate them.
24:57People don't like them, er, and they've really plummeted.
25:00Local ones do a bit better.
25:02But, I mean, obviously, that's significant to here, so I mean, that would have to stay,
25:05but, er, see if you can find somewhere to reinstall it.
25:08Well, again, thank you.
25:09I never knew that had our crest on the bottom.
25:12Yeah, well, it's clearly made, made for the family.
25:14Yeah.
25:15So, one owner from new.
25:17Since the clock has the family crest, it will need to stay at Scamston.
25:22Nevertheless, Angus has plenty to take to auction.
25:27Estate life is about creative multitasking, and no one does this better than Scamston Hall's
25:32very own butler.
25:34Craig, is it?
25:34Hi, it is, yes.
25:35Angus, I've been sent to be your assistant here.
25:37Very good, very good.
25:38Yeah.
25:39Right, well, obviously, you, we need to change your attire for this.
25:42Oh, right, okay, yeah, yeah.
25:43And then we'll crack on with some jobs.
25:45Well, I've been sent to help Craig, who's the butler, house manager, as his understudy
25:52for the day.
25:53So, first things first, I've got to change.
25:54You know, I can't be presenting in a jule, can I?
25:56This is the attire that I've got to wear.
25:59So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
26:01But, you know, and seeing what the modern concept of a butler is, you know,
26:05we all have these visions, but what is it really like?
26:07The butler is the first person to greet visitors to the house.
26:12And in Craig's world, everything has to be perfect.
26:15Including the huge porcelain collection.
26:18Is this a regular sort of partner job is, you know,
26:21keeping on top of the maintenance and cleaning of everything?
26:23It is, yes.
26:24We try and achieve it once a year, at least.
26:28And how long have you been here?
26:30How long have you been doing this?
26:31So, I've been with Chris and Miranda 14 and a half years.
26:35Wow.
26:35Well, you must really get on then.
26:37Oh, definitely.
26:37Yeah.
26:38Definitely.
26:38I was fortunate via them to go on a butler course.
26:42That must have been quite an experience.
26:44Yes, four weeks.
26:45I'm learning all the skills of household management to packing a suitcase.
26:51I think everyone has this perception of what a butler is,
26:53this sort of old-fashioned, very, you know, formal.
26:56And it is.
26:57It's all about service.
26:58But it's so much more than that.
26:59It's multiple hats.
27:01You know, as time's got harder, less and less staff.
27:03So, it's house management.
27:04It's all sorts.
27:06And I suppose a lot of it is about etiquette and things like that.
27:10Absolutely.
27:10Yeah.
27:11Yeah.
27:11And how to walk posture, believe it or not, as well.
27:14Really?
27:15Yeah.
27:16So, there's a special butler's walk?
27:18You have to slow down.
27:19You don't rush.
27:20So, there's a real art to it?
27:22Well, yeah.
27:23Yeah.
27:24It could take Angus years to learn to walk like a butler.
27:28Leave the chairs not pushed, not pushed, just slightly away from the table.
27:32Cloth.
27:33Okay.
27:34My pet eighties that.
27:35Right.
27:36I do not like that.
27:38Duly noted.
27:38I'll take that on board.
27:40But first, he needs to find out how to lay the table for afternoon tea.
27:44Craig's expecting an unusual group of visitors.
27:48Right, we'll go and get the crockery and cutthroat.
27:50Okay.
27:50For the table, because time's getting up.
27:51Okay.
27:53At Downton Abbey, Mr Carson had a ruler to measure the place settings,
27:57but Craig uses a rule of thumb.
28:00So, we tend to measure with our thumb.
28:02So, if you wish to put teaspoons on the cup and saucer.
28:14On the cup and saucer.
28:15Just at the back there.
28:15Yep.
28:18Uniform all the way round.
28:19It is, yeah.
28:20And again, we measure with our thumb.
28:23But is Angus's thumb size the same as Craig's?
28:26I mean, the attention to detail, Craig, is quite phenomenal, actually.
28:30Is that important for just a group coming round for afternoon tea?
28:34It's the first thing that the guests see before they sit at the table is a beautifully laid table.
28:38Are you happy with where I set the glasses, or do they...?
28:41Yeah, they'll be fine.
28:42They'll be fine.
28:43Actually, no, we'll just...
28:44Yeah, no, tweak them, yeah.
28:46Craig's exacting standards are teetering on the brink of obsession.
28:51They do these, you know, afternoon teas at Scampton,
28:53incorporating, you know, a tool and things like that.
28:55They don't do a lot of it.
28:56But I think that it's a wonderful experience,
28:58and something that they can really grow and capitalise on.
29:03So what group have we got coming?
29:04It's a surprise for you.
29:06A surprise, right, OK.
29:09Obviously quite exclusive.
29:10Yes.
29:14In days of yore, who knows what the butler saw,
29:18but he probably never saw a gang of bikers roar up the drive.
29:23Good afternoon.
29:26Craig didn't tell me he was coming, but I heard him.
29:28Afternoon, madam.
29:31That just goes to show that it's appealing to everybody,
29:33and I think people have these misconceptions that you've got to be whatever to come here.
29:36It's not.
29:37Everybody's fascinated by history.
29:39It's a lovely ride out on the bikes, coming through the parkland,
29:42parking up in front of the doors, coming in for afternoon tea.
29:45Who wouldn't love that?
29:46Right, well, good afternoon, everyone.
29:49Welcome to Scamston Hall.
29:51My name is Craig.
29:52I'm the house manager butler here.
29:53And while Angus and Craig butler off to get the tea things...
29:57This room is actually the boudoir.
29:59Local historian and guide Anne shares the history of the house,
30:03explaining a more traditional type of horsepower.
30:06There's a painting of the great racehorse Herod, or King Herod,
30:11a very important horse, as many British bloodstock lines
30:15traced their ancestry back through this horse.
30:18And tea is served.
30:20OK, so I'll just explain what we have on the stands.
30:22At the bottom we have cucumber and cream cheese, ham and salmon.
30:27How's it going?
30:29Very good, yes.
30:30Are you pleased with...
30:31It's gone really well.
30:32Are you pleased with me?
30:33Yes, definitely.
30:34OK, good.
30:34Remember, attention to detail.
30:36Yeah.
30:36And dress appropriately.
30:38So, do you think one day I could get one of those bachelors?
30:43Oh, definitely, yeah.
30:48Wonderful, thank you.
30:49Do you want to have a go?
30:51Yeah, go on then.
30:52Go on then.
30:52Craig, I quit.
30:53I'm going to eat again.
30:56With his role as under butler over for the day,
30:59Angus roars off to help the gardening team,
31:02who have arranged a charity auction.
31:05Oh, this is good, this.
31:06Get used to this.
31:17So, we're going to start this one here,
31:19which is a pretty blue one,
31:20which grows in the gardens.
31:22I don't know what it's called,
31:23but it attracts bees.
31:24Very bee-friendly.
31:25So, this isn't a pita, so a catman.
31:27OK, £1, Sammy, or £1 anywhere, is it now?
31:29Oh, my God, this is going to be...
31:31This is going to be tough.
31:32£1, £2 of pita and a bit of £2 of free.
31:34Was that a bid, madam?
31:35£3, £3, £3, a bit of £3 it is.
31:36The lady next year was £3, £3, £4, £4,
31:39come on, it's all for charity.
31:40£4, £4, £4, £5, thank you, madam.
31:41£5, £6, £6, a bit of £6, £6, £6 it is,
31:44then £6, £7 a bit of £7, £8, £8, £8 a bit of £8 it is,
31:47then £8, £8.
31:48And £8, we're all done for the first lot of £8.
31:50£8, going to sell her £8.
31:52Thank you, sir.
31:54Right, we've got a peony.
31:55I know all about these,
31:55because I had to stake some out the other weekend.
31:58Was it a pinky flower?
31:59Yeah, pinky, pinky red.
32:00Pinky red flowers, big pinky red flowers.
32:02Okay, beautiful.
32:04£5, start me on this one.
32:05£5, all right, straight up,
32:06at £5 at £5, don't let them have all the bargains.
32:10£6 a bit at £6, £7, £7, £8, £8, £8, let's go.
32:13£8, £8 it is then at £8, £9, £9, £9, £9, £9, £9.
32:16This three of you bidding, £10, £10, £10, £10, I'll come to you in a minute, madam.
32:18£10, £12, £12, £12, £14, £14, £14 a bit of thank you, £14, £16 now, £16 a bit of £18, £18, £18, £18, £20.
32:25£20, £20. I'll take one. £20 and £50p. £20 it is then, we're all done at £20.
32:35We're going to sell at £20, £20. Thank you.
32:42You know, a good bit of fun. I actually pulled in crying audience and we've raised,
32:46you know, some decent money for a charity. I'm not sure Nick approved of my plant descriptions,
32:51but you know, we got them sold. Angus is happy to help out where he can.
32:56Now it's time to organise the van to collect the Scamston Hall Hall for the auction.
33:02In total, Angus has 26 lots to list and price up.
33:06Wonderful. It's been absolutely fantastic.
33:09Angus, it's been a blast. Really good to see you.
33:10Thank you very much. Thank you for coming. Have a safe journey.
33:12I will and good luck with all the plans.
33:14Thank you very much. I hope you've enjoyed it. We've certainly enjoyed having you.
33:16Cheers, Angus. Thank you very much.
33:17Take care.
33:18And with luck, the proceeds will help towards the cost of a new tractor.
33:24Next stop, the auction house.
33:26It's high summer and at Angus' sale rooms, the country house auction is only a few days away.
33:46All week it's been, you know, catalogs gone online, then it's getting it set up, making it look nice.
33:52And everything discovered at Scamston Hall is on display for customers to have a pre-auction perusal.
33:58You know, we've had a great viewing day today, first day of viewing. I've got another day tomorrow, lots of inquiries coming in.
34:03And Angus has some surprise visitors.
34:06Good evening. How are we doing? You all right? Good to see you again.
34:10I'm just trying to pick this bad boy up.
34:11Yeah, good door stops they make.
34:14Sir Chris and Lady Miranda Ledyard from Scamston Hall have dropped by to check on their items for sale,
34:21but they seem a little distracted by everything else on offer.
34:24I've had some work done in 1830, but that'll be a bit earlier in date, but...
34:29Yeah, I mean, I think you need a dueling pistol, just in case.
34:32Yeah, well, you never know.
34:33Yeah, right, you know, take 20 pace, isn't it?
34:35Missed. Shit, your turn. Yikes.
34:38Washten, I recognise.
34:40Yep. A lot of inquiries on that.
34:43Yeah, this is kind of your wall, actually.
34:45Who is it? OK.
34:46The hall from the hall boasts a few last-minute items, including a very rare camera.
34:52And your easel, which actually, I think, looks fantastic set up.
34:56I think it's really nice, and it actually came out.
34:58It was one of the few things that came out of the stables in quite good nick.
35:01I'm excited about the next phase for them, in a sense,
35:05because it's actually much nicer than they're rotting in our stable.
35:08Much nicer that there's a possibility that I'll end up loved and cared for and used.
35:14That's real live bird poo from Scamston.
35:16Yeah, no, I know.
35:17I mean, it's not just any bird poo.
35:18No, no, no, that's, you know.
35:21That's verging on royal.
35:25Well, you will see. The hard work is done now.
35:28We've just got to see how the sale turns out.
35:29At £1900.
35:31At £1900 in the room.
35:32So the day has arrived.
35:34At £1900. Are you bidding or waving, sir?
35:36At £1900.
35:37Four times a year, Angus holds a country house auction,
35:40attracting customers from all over the globe.
35:43I'm selling that if you don't get on at £1900.
35:47And there's been some serious interest in the items from Scamston Hall.
35:52Great collection. You know, some lovely, lovely pieces.
35:55Quirky things, like those showers.
35:56I've only ever found one that's come up for auction before,
35:58and that did £350, so can we get a better price for it?
36:02We'll see. No, I think they could be in for a good day.
36:04Up first is the huge Victorian painted pine kitchen dresser.
36:09So we can start at £1500. At £1500. At £1750. At £2000 now.
36:17At £2000 for it. At £2002. 2003. 2004. Thank you.
36:22On the telephone. It's against you online. 2005.
36:24It's a great thing. Just a great thing.
36:26If I'd space in my kitchen, I'd be tempted.
36:29At £3002, thank you. At £3200, it's in the room.
36:34Don't mistake it, then. We are in the market. We're selling, then. At £3200.
36:40£3200. Good. Good result.
36:43A great start. And up next, a very early example of a mechanical shower.
36:48I love this. I mean, this is brilliant, the shower. Absolutely fantastic.
36:52Sadly, Angus wouldn't pose in it.
36:54If he does £1000, I'll get in it.
36:57Don't say things like that in a room full of people.
37:00There it is. A lot of interest in it. We can start this lot at £270.
37:06£300. At £300, £320. Don't mistake it, then. At £400 now.
37:10Different platform at £400. So, the next bid is £20 for you, sir.
37:13£420, yes. £420, thank you.
37:15At £500 at the back of the room. Have to hurry you now.
37:18At £520, £540. No? Thank you, anyway.
37:20We're in the market. We shall sell at £520.
37:25£520, thank you. £520 for the shower.
37:28That's good. That's good. Good price, though.
37:31Now it's the Victorian Mahogany Adjustable Easel.
37:34If you want to take up painting, you definitely need one of these.
37:36£100 for it. Come on, £100. £100 is bid, thank you.
37:40£110, £120, £130. At £130 now. £140, thank you. At £140.
37:45This is huge, this easel. It's a superb thing.
37:47£160, thank you, on the sale room.
37:49£160. At £160. £160, thank you, for the easel. £160.
37:56Next, will the enormous corner cupboard find a home?
37:59Fantastic thing. Beautiful quality Cuban Mahogany.
38:03I mean, that in London would probably be a million quid as a flat.
38:06£50 online, thank you, at £50. Thank you, at £55.
38:09Are you bidding? £60, thank you.
38:11£60, £65, £70, £75, £80, £85, £90, £90.
38:17Look at this, they're going mad for it.
38:19£95 online, £100. At £100, the ladies bid. At £100, oh, we've got more competition.
38:24£110, £120. If you don't get on, then at £120. £120, thank you, £120.
38:30I'm genuinely glad you came. £120.
38:36The camera's up next, a last-minute addition.
38:40This is a rare thing. This is going to fly. Wait for it.
38:42We can start it at £640, £680, £880, £900, £920.
38:50Might do over £1,000 on this.
38:52£980, £1,000, £50, £1,200. At £1,200 now. At £1,250, another bidder.
38:59Still going. Internet bidders on this.
39:01Gavel rising, all the leather cases and et cetera, et cetera, accessories at £1,250.
39:06£1,250. Fantastic. That is a stonking result.
39:10I thought they would do well. Actually, they've done really well.
39:12And I think the star item that came out is that camera.
39:15Potentially could have gone to rack and ruin. So I'm glad it's been saved.
39:20And a few days later, Angus is off back to Scamston with the good news.
39:26They had a fantastic launch. We've had some brilliant results.
39:28But it deserved to do well. So I'm pleased.
39:31I've got some good news for Scamston and it's going to be good to see
39:35what they've been up to since I was last there.
39:41Hey, Angus. How are you doing? You all right?
39:43Yeah, I'm good, thanks. Nice to see you.
39:45It's been a while. Yeah, it's great to see you.
39:46How's things? Yeah, really good.
39:48Well, we've had a good auction. Yes, I know you have.
39:51Do you? Yes, I followed it.
39:53I was on live because I've honestly never sent anything to auction in my life.
39:59Right. And a good experience?
40:01Really good experience. Yeah.
40:03I mean, a few things did well. Really well. That camera.
40:06We knew it was going to do well. We had a lot of pre-sale interest,
40:08a lot of people watching online. So we thought it'd do well.
40:11But yeah, I mean, £12.50, so it was good.
40:14As indeed was that massive sideboard.
40:16I love that. But I mean, I was confident we'd get it away.
40:21Yeah. Big piece, so it's a little bit niche, but wonderful.
40:24Thank you for raising a bit of cash for us.
40:25Yeah, we did 9,295, I think it was, to come back.
40:29Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, and found it, nipped it, spent it, as they say.
40:33Spent it already. Yeah, I've spent it already.
40:36And I've spent it on something. I spent a little bit more than that,
40:39but something on something really, really useful.
40:41And I'd like to show you what it is.
40:42Okay, I'd love to. Yeah.
40:43Let's go. Let's go and sit.
40:46So Chris was already aware that he is in the money,
40:49which means he's already been shopping.
40:52Right. I can hear it. I can hear it.
40:55Well, I'm thinking a bit of machinery, then.
40:58Might be. Here she is. Now she blows.
41:01Oh my word, look at this. Yeah, I know. It's all right, isn't it?
41:04That is wonderful, isn't it? Right.
41:09New toy. Yeah. Must be happy.
41:11Very, very happy. Yeah.
41:13I mean, what sort of difference is this going to make?
41:14Oh, this is going to be fantastic.
41:16It's like having two extra staff members,
41:18especially with mulching and just moving plants to the nursery.
41:22And it's just, it's, it's so valuable.
41:25Yeah. I tend, people tend to ask for things about a year around here before they get them.
41:28Yeah.
41:29Because then I know they really need them.
41:31Yeah.
41:32But no, these guys really, really do need this.
41:34And I know it'll, it'll make their lives a lot easier.
41:36But all joking apart, you know, it is a big investment, isn't it?
41:38Yeah.
41:39But that's, hopefully you'll see that in efficiency and productivity and everything else.
41:44Yeah.
41:44It's wonderful, isn't it?
41:45It's good. Do you want to have a go?
41:47Yeah, go on then.
41:48Go on then.
41:49Will you show them how it works?
41:50It's nice, yeah.
41:51I don't think I'm qualified.
41:52It's got PTO shaft and everything.
41:54It's good.
41:54It sounds like you've seen one of these before.
41:57Just a few. Oh, Hydrastat as well.
41:59There we go.
42:00There you go.
42:01You're talking, you're talking the language.
42:02Hydraulics on here for the front loader.
42:03Have you driven a tractor before by any chance?
42:05I've driven a tractor.
42:06Yeah, my first ever vehicle was a Grey Fergie petrol paraffin.
42:09How was it?
42:10Yeah, SSU 649 was the register.
42:12OK.
42:13Yeah, I don't know why I remember that, but I do.
42:15Good, so you feel quite at home.
42:16Excellent.
42:17Yeah.
42:17Well, I'll be sure to come back next year and see the fruits of its labour.
42:21Well, thank you very much.
42:22No, thank you.
42:22Good to see you.
42:23And you.
42:23Drive safely.
42:24See you later.
42:25And come back.
42:31Oh, he's off.
42:33Farm boy Angus is in his element.
42:36God, I hope he brings it back.
42:37I'll chase them down the road if I have to.
42:41I mean, I could drive home in it, but it's a bit of a way, but...
42:46Quite tempted, I like this.
42:48Well, I very much hope he's going to come back.
42:50Anyway, I know where he lives, and more importantly, my garden team knows where he lives,
42:54and if he doesn't bring it back, I'm pretty sure they'll be round there pretty sharpish.
42:59As a Yorkshireman, you know, spending money's never come easy,
43:01but, um, so it's a huge help if you can get some in before you send some out, sort of thing.
43:06So, having a new piece of kit that will just help that process of maintenance and
43:11keeping everything looking beautiful is really important.
43:14Not a bad result for a few forgotten relics from the stables,
43:18and a lasting legacy to make life a little bit easier for the Scamston gardeners.
43:23This is a fantasy fantasy.
Comments